Print control apparatus and computer-readable recording medium storing print control program

Abstract

A print control apparatus is connected to a printing apparatus and controls printing operations of the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus has a printing device to print characters on a print medium. The print control apparatus includes a print medium setting acquisition device that acquires print medium setting information, the print medium setting information being identification information set for each of a plurality of edit areas and identifying a print medium on which each of the plurality of edit areas is to be printed, the plurality of edit areas constituting a document, and a print control device that controls the printing device to successively print same-setting edit areas, the same-setting edit areas being edit areas for which the print medium setting information acquired by the print medium setting acquisition device is set the same.

1 . A print control apparatus adapted to be connected to a printing apparatus having a printing device to print characters on a print medium and that controls printing operations of the printing apparatus, the print control apparatus comprising:
 a print medium setting acquisition device that acquires print medium setting information, the print medium setting information being identification information set for each of a plurality of edit areas and identifying a print medium on which each of the plurality of edit areas is to be printed, the plurality of edit areas constituting a document; and   a print control device that controls the printing device to successively print same-setting edit areas, the same-setting edit areas being edit areas for which the print medium setting information acquired by the print medium setting acquisition device is set the same.   
   
   
       2 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first print medium setting acquisition device that acquires first print medium setting information, the first print medium setting information being the print medium setting information set for an edit area to be printed first of the plurality of edit areas,
 wherein the print control device controls the printing device to successively and preferentially print the same-setting edit areas for which the print medium setting information is set the same as the first print medium setting information acquired by the first print medium setting acquisition device.   
   
   
       3 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a print medium notification device that gives notification of the print medium identified by the first print medium setting information acquired by the first print medium setting acquisition device. 
   
   
       4 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the print control device controls the printing device to successively and preferentially print the same-setting edit areas for which the print medium setting information is set the same as the first print medium setting information and an edit area for which the print medium setting information indicating that printing can be performed on the print medium identified by the first print medium setting information is set. 
   
   
       5 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a print medium information acquisition device that acquires print medium identification information, the print medium identification information being identification information assigned to a print medium loaded in the printing apparatus,
 wherein the print control device controls the printing device to successively and preferentially print the same-setting edit areas for which the print medium setting information is set the same as the print medium identification information acquired by the print medium information acquisition device.   
   
   
       6 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a replacement notification device that notifies of a prompt for replacing the print medium loaded in the printing apparatus with another print medium identified by the print medium setting information set for a different edit area immediately before the different edit area is printed, the different edit area being an edit area for which the print medium setting information is set as different from the print medium identification information acquired by the print medium information acquisition device. 
   
   
       7 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the print control device controls the printing device to successively and preferentially print the same-setting edit areas for which the print medium setting information is set the same as the print medium identification information and an edit area for which the print medium setting information indicating that printing can be performed on the print medium identified by the print medium identification information is set. 
   
   
       8 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a print medium setting device that sets the print medium setting information for each of the plurality of edit areas. 
   
   
       9 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a printer setting acquisition device that acquires printer setting information, the printer setting information being identification information set for each of the plurality of edit areas and identifying the printing apparatus to print each of the plurality of edit areas; and   a printer information acquisition device that acquires printer identification information, the printer identification information being identification information assigned to the printing apparatus currently connected,   wherein the print control device controls the printing device to successively and preferentially print the same-setting edit areas for which the printer setting information is set the same as the printer identification information acquired by the printer information acquisition device.   
   
   
       10 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising a printer change notification device that notifies of a prompt for replacing the printing apparatus currently connected with another printing apparatus identified by the printer setting information set for a different edit area immediately before the different edit area is printed, the different edit area being an edit area for which the printer setting information is set as different from the printer identification information acquired by the printer information acquisition device. 
   
   
       11 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising a printer setting device that sets the printer setting information for each of the plurality of edit areas. 
   
   
       12 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing apparatus is a tape printing apparatus that prints characters on a tape as the print medium with the printing device. 
   
   
       13 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the printing apparatus comprises:
 a feeding device that feeds the tape via the printing device; and 
 a cutting device that cuts off the tape after printing is performed by the printing device, and 
   the print control apparatus further comprises:
 an inter-area cut setting acquisition device that acquires inter-area cut setting information, the inter-area cut setting information specifying whether to cut the tape between the same-setting edit areas when the same-setting edit areas are successively printed along a feeding direction of the tape and a cutting method to be employed in cutting the tape; and 
 a cutting control device that controls the cutting device to cut the tape between the same-setting edit areas by the cutting method if the inter-area cut setting information indicates that the tape should be cut by the cutting method, and controls the cutting device to avoid cutting the tape between the same-setting edit areas if the inter-area cut setting information indicates the tape should not be cut. 
   
   
   
       14 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the tape has a print tape on which the same-setting edit areas are printed and a separation tape stuck to one surface of the print tape via an adhesive layer; and   the cutting method includes a full-cutting method of cutting both of the print tape and the separation tape and a half-cutting method of cutting only the print tape.   
   
   
       15 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising an inter-area cut setting device that sets the inter-area cut setting information. 
   
   
       16 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising a document-end cut setting acquisition device that acquires document-end cut setting information, the document-end cut setting information specifying whether to cut the tape each time the document is printed if a plurality of copies of the document are to be printed,
 wherein the cutting control device controls the cutting device to cut the tape after the document is printed if the document-end cut setting information indicates that the tape should be cut, and controls the cutting device to avoid cutting the tape after the document is printed if the document-end cut setting information indicates that the tape should not be cut.   
   
   
       17 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising a document-end cut setting device that sets the document-end cut setting information. 
   
   
       18 . The print control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a print target specification device that specifies edit areas to be printed among the plurality of the edit areas. 
   
   
       19 . A computer-readable recording medium that stores a print control program for controlling printing operations of a printing apparatus having a printing device to print characters on a print medium, the program comprising:
 instructions for acquiring print medium setting information, the print medium setting information being identification information set for each of a plurality of edit areas and identifying a print medium on which each of the plurality of edit areas is to be printed, the plurality of edit areas constituting a document; and   instructions for controlling the printing device to successively print same-setting edit areas, the same-setting edit areas being edit areas for which the acquired print medium setting information is set the same.   
   
   
       20 . The recording medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the program further comprises instructions for acquiring first print medium setting information, the first print medium setting information being the print medium setting information set for an edit area to be printed first of the plurality of edit areas,
 wherein the instructions for controlling the printing device control the printing device to successively and preferentially print the same-setting edit areas for which the print medium setting information is set the same as the acquired first print medium setting information.   
   
   
       21 . The recording medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the program further comprises instructions for acquiring print medium identification information, the print medium identification information being identification information assigned to the print medium loaded in the printing apparatus,
 wherein the instructions for controlling the printing device control the printing device to successively and preferentially print the same-setting edit areas for which the print medium setting information is set the same as the acquired print medium identification information.   
   
   
       22 . The recording medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the program further comprises instructions for setting the print medium setting information for each of the plurality of edit areas. 
   
   
       23 . The recording medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the program further comprises:
 instructions for acquiring printer setting information, the printer setting information being identification information set for each of the plurality of edit areas and identifying the printing apparatus to print each of the plurality of edit areas; and   instructions for acquiring printer identification information, the printer identification information being identification information assigned to the printing apparatus currently connected,   
     wherein the instructions for controlling the printing device control the printing device to successively and preferentially print the same-setting edit areas for which the printer setting information is set the same as the acquired printer identification information. 
   
   
       24 . The recording medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the printing apparatus is a tape printing apparatus that prints characters on a tape as the print medium with the printing device. 
   
   
       25 . The recording medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the program further comprises instructions for specifying an edit area to be printed among a plurality of the edit areas.